Williams promoted to TSU head men's basketball coach

TSU HEAD COACH TRAVIS WILLIAMS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University Athletics Director Teresa Phillips and President Dr. Portia Holmes-Shields announced on Friday morning that assistant coach Travis Williams has been tabbed to be the 16th head coach for the Tigers men's basketball program.

Williams, a native of Tifton, Georgia, served as an assistant for previous TSU head coach John Cooper during the last three seasons. Cooper left on April 6 after accepting the head coaching position at Miami University (Ohio).

Williams helped restore a winning attitude to the Tigers' program. The Big Blue recorded just nine wins in 2009-10, while improving to 14 victories in 2010-11. Last season, the Tigers completed a 20-13 mark - the most for any TSU program since 1978-79. It also marked the school's first winning season in 16 years.

The 2011-12 campaign gave Tennessee State its third NCAA Division-I postseason appearance with an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). The Tigers fell to eventual CIT Champion Mercer, 68-60, in the first round.

As the first assistant, Williams was involved with every aspect of the program. His major priority was the recruitment and development of student-athletes, both academically and athletically. Williams helped with practice, game day strategies, assignments and scouting reports. He also maintained day-to-day operations. Williams worked with student-athletes individually, while scheduling practice and workout sessions. He coordinated all community service initiatives and served as the team's academic liaison.

"We are very pleased to have retained Travis Williams as our next head men's basketball coach," said Phillips. "Coach Williams is committed and has been a successful Division I student-athlete. He has coached on a variety of levels, so he brings a plethora of experience to this job. He understands the importance of relationship building and will continue to make TSU basketball a significant entity in the Nashville area."

"I am truly humbled and grateful for this opportunity to serve as the 16th head coach at TSU," said Williams. "It's with great honor and pride to serve Tennessee State University and the Nashville community. I will strive to represent TSU in a first class manner at all times by working hard and expecting my student-athletes to do the same. Our goal is to ensure our student-athletes graduate, while maintaining their competitive intensity and desire to win the OVC Championship."

When he joined the Tigers in the summer of 2009, Williams brought 10 years of coaching experience as an assistant and head coach.

This marks Williams' third time taking the reins of a basketball program. Williams served as head coach of the Dongguan Parklane Snow Wolf Professional Basketball Club in China's National Basketball League (NBL). He led the team to an 11-2 preseason record before leaving prior to the 2009 regular season. Williams was hired by the Dongguan Snow Wolf to develop the game of basketball in China directly after the 2008 Olympics. He facilitated player development, conditioning and game day strategies.

In 2004, Williams received his first head coach appointment at Fort Valley State University in Georgia. He led the Wildcats to a pair of winning seasons during his tenure. Williams led FVSU to an 18-12 record during the 2006-07 campaign. At the conclusion of the season, the Wildcats ranked 10th in the Division II South Region poll, making it to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship game. FVSU's 18 wins were the most since the 1998-99 season.

After a three-season stint at FVSU, Williams served as an assistant for one season at Mercer University (2007-08). That season, Mercer defeated No.17 ranked University of Southern California.

Williams' coaching resume includes stops as an associate head coach with the Southern Crescent Lightning of the World Basketball Association (2004) and an assistant position at Chicago State (2003-2004).

From 1999-2003 he served as assistant at his alma mater Georgia State. During his tenure with the Panthers, the program produced three conference regular season championships and one conference tournament championship. While at GSU, the Panthers defeated two Top-25 teams (No.15 St. Josephs and No.23 Georgia) and produced an upset over No. 6 seed Wisconsin in the 2001 NCAA Tournament marking the first 20-win season in school history, finishing 29-5.

In 2001-02, the Panthers had another 20-win season and advanced to the final game, bowing out by a single point in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship game, receiving a bid to the NIT Tournament.

Williams hosted "In the Loop", an all-access cable sports show covering all levels of athletics throughout central Georgia. He has also served as a motivational speaker and educational consultant with his "If You Believe, You Can Achieve" Power Hour series.

Williams is currently a member of National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Black Coaches and Administrators Association (BCAA). As a player, he scored more than 1,000 career points at GSU. He graduated with a Bachelor's in business management in 1995 and a Master's in Sports Administration in 1999. While in college at GSU, Williams interned with the National Football League (NFL) Players Association as a research intern.

He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. and the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville. Williams is married to Nikkya Williams. The two celebrated the birth of their daughter Teagan Loure' Ann on Nov. 3, 2011.



TSU PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTO GALLERY

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Tennessee State promotes Travis Williams to men's basketball head coach

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Travis Williams’ goal to be a Division I college basketball head coach by the time he was 40 was still in peril last week.
The developments over the last eight days, however, helped the 39 year-old get there on Friday.

And Williams has Tennessee State’s players to thank. They persuaded Athletics Director Teresa Phillips to promote him after John Cooper accepted the head coaching job at Miami (Ohio) on April 6.

“I didn’t expect it to happen this way, in this short amount of time,” said Williams, a Tigers assistant for three seasons. Phillips called the players and assistant coaches in for a meeting in the Tigers locker room on Tuesday.

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DSU wrap up Spring Camp with Alumni Stadium Scrimmage

DOVER, Delaware - The Delaware State University football team will close out its 2012 spring camp with a full contact scrimmage at Alumni Stadium on Saturday beginning at 4:00 p.m.

The final spring camp session will put the Hornets offense against the defense in a variety of game situations.

Delaware State second-year head coach Kermit Blount says he has yet to determine the number of plays to be run.

"We've had a productive camp and the coaching staff is eager to continue evaluations during the scrimmage," said Blount. "Unlike last spring, when we spent so much time getting familiar with the players and installing new systems, we've be able to have more of a traditional spring camp."

The Hornets expect to return eight offensive starters this season. Last season's starting quarterback Nick Elko (r-sr.) has taken most of the first team snaps this spring. Elko completed 207 of 362 passes (57.2%) for 2,064 yards in his first season as a starter in 2011. He threw for 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions; and was second in the MEAC in passing average (206.4 ypg) and sixth in total offense (193.5 ypg) last season.

The Hornets also return wide receiver Travis Tarpley (r-sr.), who was tops among all MEAC players in all-purpose yards at 144.2 per game in 2011. Tarpley set a DSU single-season record with 66 receptions last year. He was tops on the Hornets with 736 receiving yards and second on the team with 148 rushing yards last season.

Fellow receiver Justin Wilson (sr.) also returns after catching 54 passes for 563 yards and six touchdowns in eight games in 2011. Wilson, the 2011 MEAC Preseason Player-of- the-Year missed three games last season due to an ankle injury.

On defense, the Hornets must replace their two leading tacklers from last season, linebackers Quentin Ferguson and Brandon Harvey.

The top returning tacklers from 2011 are inside linebacker Ernest Adjei (sr.) and defensive back Joe Boyd (so.). Adjei had total 59 tackles, including 35 solo stops, while Boyd tallied 53 tackles (38 unassisted) last season.

Blount also expects returning defensive end Quinton Fortes (sr.) and linebacker Olusegun Ayanbiola (r-sr.) to play major roles on the defense this season.

After spring drills, the Hornets will continue off-season workouts in preparation for summer camp in early August.

DSU will open the 2012 season at home against VMI on Sep. 1. Game time is 2:00 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

Margaret Richards, former KSU, St. Aug's coach named WKU Lady Topper Assistant Coach

MARGARET RICHARDS
(Photo Courtesy WKU)

BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky -- Western Kentucky University  new women's basketball coach Michelle Clark-Heard announced on Monday that Margaret Richards has joined her staff as an assistant coach.

"I couldn't be happier to be reunited with Margaret and have her on my staff here at WKU," said Heard. "Our relationship goes all the way back to her days in high school, and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow into a tremendous coach. She will be a huge asset in all areas of Lady Topper basketball, but her best strength will be building relationships with players and coaches. She knows me and my style and has such a bright future."

Richards spent two years as an assistant under Coach Heard at Kentucky State (2005-06, 2006-07). The two were also on the staff at Louisville for the 2007-08 season, where Richards served as a graduate assistant on the Cardinal's first Sweet Sixteen team. She was also a member of the women's basketball team at Nebraska (1999-2000 - 2003-04), where Heard served as an assistant coach for three of those years. Richards spent the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach at Weber State.

"I am so excited to be back home in Kentucky and to have the opportunity to once again work with Coach Heard here at WKU," said Richards. "Growing up in this state, I've always known about - and had tremendous respect - for the tradition of Lady Topper Basketball. It's an honor to be associated with this program, and I look forward to being part of the rise back to national prominence."

Also no stranger to the Sun Belt Conference, Richards coached at North Texas during the 2010-11 season. During her year with the Mean Green, she served as the team's recruiting coordinator, and was also responsible for guard development.

Prior to joining the staff at UNT, Richards spent two seasons as the head coach at Saint Augustine College. She compiled a 33-24 record in two season as the Lady Falcons' head coach, highlighted by an 18-10 record and a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Western Division championship in 2009-10. In her first season, she led Saint Augustine to 15 wins and the program's first CIAA semifinals appearance in six seasons. During Richards' tenure, two Lady Falcons made the all-CIAA team and the all-CIAA Rookie team. She was also named CIAA Coach of the Week six times.

A native of Louisville, Richards starred at Louisville Central High School. She ranked second in the state in scoring during her senior season (35.5 ppg), earning first-team all-state accolades and a spot on the Kentucky All-Star Team.

Richards earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies and double minored in sociology and ethnic studies from the University of Nebraska in 2003. The Cornhuskers earned a Top-25 national ranking during her senior season, and she was selected as a team captain during both her junior and senior campaigns.

The Richards File:
Born - Sept. 13, 1981
High School - Louisville Central, 2000
HS Athletics - Basketball, 4 letters; Track and Field, 2 letters; Field Hockey, 1 letter
College - Nebraska (BA), 2003
College Athletics - Basketball, guard, 4 letters
Coaching Experience -
Kentucky State, assistant coach (2005-06 - 2006-07)
Louisville, graduate assistant (2007-08)
Saint Augustine College, head coach (2008-09 - 2009-10)
North Texas, assistant coach (2010-11)
Weber State, assistant coach (2011-12)
Western Kentucky University, assistant coach (2012-13)

The Michelle Clark-Heard File:
Born — July 27, 1968
High School — Atherton (Ky.) 1986
HS Athletics — Basketball, 4 letters
College — WKU (BA), 1990; Nebraska (MA), 2001
College Athletics — Basketball, forward, 4 letters
Coaching Experience —
Nebraska, assistant coach (1998-99 - 2001-02)
Cincinnati, assistant coach (2002-03 - 2004-05)
Kentucky State, head coach (2005-06 - 2006-07)
Louisville, assistant coach (2007-08 - 2011-12)
Family — Husband, Luther

New Orleanian Locure, Ewell of Detroit sign with XU Nuggets

Alexandria Locure

Simone-Alyse Ewell

Simone-Alyse Ewell

NEW ORLEANS — Alexandria Locure of New Orleans and Simone-Alyse Ewell of Detroit are Xavier University of Louisiana's first announced women's tennis signees for the 2012-13 academic year. Both are seniors in high school.

Locure, who attends John Curtis Christian School in suburban River Ridge, Louisiana, is a TennisRecruiting.net two-star prospect ranked ninth in Louisiana and 80th in the Gulf States region. She has won approximately 20 singles championships and one doubles title in amateur age-group tournaments.

As a sophomore at Curtis is 2010, Locure ran the third leg

on the 1,600-meter relay team which won the district championship in outdoor track and field.

A honor roll student multiple times at Curtis, Locure will major in pharmacy at Xavier.

Ewell, who attends The Roeper School in Birmingham, Michigan, is a TennisRecruiting.net three-star prospect ranked 12th in Michigan and 53rd in the Great Lakes region. A veteran of USTA regional and national events since age 11, Ewell won two singles matches and two doubles matches to help her Southeast Michigan team finish second in the 2011 Marian Wood Baird Cup.

Ewell, whose career goal is to become a veterinarian, has played flute in jazz and concert bands at Roeper since fifth grade. She also won an award for a children's book she published at age 12, and she organized a Christmas 2010 drive which collected 2,000 books.

Xavier competes in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Coach Alan Green's Gold Nuggets qualified for the NAIA National Championship five of the previous seven seasons and won first-round dual matches at nationals all five times.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

FAMU football wraps up spring practice

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The final scrimmage of spring football practice — highlighted by some hard hitting and interceptions that were returned for touchdowns by the defense — was over Thursday afternoon for Florida A&M.

Then, after running through a few obligatory football matters, coach Joe Taylor spent the rest of his time chiding his players about their responsibilities over the next three months. Taylor put as much emphasis on summer school attendance as he did on conditioning and watching film.

He repeatedly reminded them of the importance of class attendance. He wanted to make sure that he doesn't lose key players to academic ineligibility, as was the case for seven players last season.



"You lose that many and I don't know if you ever recover," Taylor said. "That can't happen so I really charge them to be somebody that your teammates can depend on; go to summer school and attend classes. If we can get that part done, then we've got a chance to be really competitive."

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WSSU's Collins a candidate for N.C. A&T vacancy

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Bobby Collins, the men's basketball coach at Winston-Salem State, is a candidate for the head-coaching vacancy at N.C. A&T, athletics director Bill Hayes of WSSU confirmed Friday.

"I have given permission to A&T to talk to Bobby," Hayes said. "When you have success such as Bobby has had, schools are going to look at your coaches, and I know that."

Collins finished his latest season at WSSU, his sixth, with a CIAA title and a 21-9 record. He did not return a message left Friday on his cell phone. Collins has one year left on his contract, which pays him $106,500 a year.

According to sources familiar with the interview process but not authorized to speak about it, Collins was ...

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Track & Field Hosts 10th Annual Boston-Moon Classic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University men's and women's track & field teams host the 10th annual Boston-Moon Classic on Saturday, April 14 at the Edward S. Temple Track.

Running events start at 9:30am followed with field events at 10am. As of Friday, eight universities are slated to be at the event including Belmont, Middle Tennessee and Tennessee Tech.

Exciting events involving spectators are taking place on Saturday. Greek organizations and the TSU Track & Field Alumni will take part in a 4x100-meter relay event shortly after the collegiate 4x100 relay.

TSU returns from a two week hiatus after competing in three outdoor meets already. Currently, the TSU tracksters have 13 top-5 marks in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Freshman Ashontae Jackson is third in the league after her run of 24.25 in the 200-meter dash at the Weems-Baskin Invitational in South Carolina. Jackson, a native of Gordonsville, Va., is second in the women's long jump after distancing 18-5 ¼ (5.62m) at the Morehouse College Relays on March 15.

Also leading the way for the Tigerbelles is junior Gabrielle Todd. Her leap of 5-3 ¼ (1.61m) at the 62nd annual Florida A&M Relays ranks fifth in the OVC.

The Tigerbelles have three of the top-5 spots in the triple jump: Ja'Lyn Burr (38-0 ¾/11.60m/2nd), Felicia Oladokun (37-5/11.40m/3rd) and Daniecce Ward (37-3 ¾/11.37m/5th).

Arthur Combest leads the TSU hurdlers with his time of 14.72 in the 110-meter hurdles at the FAMU Relays. The junior ranks fifth in the men's high jump, clearing a height of 6-4 ¾ (1.95m) at the Weems-Baskin Invitational.

Jumps specialist Royce Dates holds the OVC's best mark of 23-10 (7.26m) in the long jump. Dates is tied 70th overall, but is expected to make big strides this weekend after taking two weeks of rest.

Results from Saturday's meet will be posted online at TSUTigers.com and CFPITiming.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Football Closes Out Spring Practice on Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University football closes out a successful spring this weekend with the annual Blue-White Spring game on Saturday afternoon.

The contest is slated for 3:30pm kickoff at Hale Stadium, affectionately known as 'The Hole.' Prior to Saturday's Blue-White game, a Legends Game will take place between TSU and Vanderbilt at 1pm.



Admission to Saturday's festivities are free. There will be concessions, a rummage sale and national sports talk host Donal Ware is expected on site. Ware will talk with Head Coach Rod Reed, TSU alum/Philadelphia Eagle Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and other TSU personalities at the Spring Game. Ware's show will be aired live on WFSK 88.1 FM.

On Friday, TSU and DRC host the annual Celebrity Slam Jam at the Gentry Center. Doors open at 5:30pm with autograph signings as numerous NFL athletes will be on hand. The basketball game starts at 7pm.

For tickets, fans can call the TSU Ticket Office at 615-963-5841 or by visiting a Ticketmaster outlet.



Reed Announces Two Additions to Coaching Staff

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE -  Tennessee State University football coach Rod Reed announced the hiring of offensive line coach Russ Ehrenfeld and cornerbacks coach Mikhal Kornegay on Friday afternoon.

It's a homecoming of sorts for Ehrenfeld after spending three seasons at Chattanooga. Kornegay takes his first full time coaching job after spending four seasons as a graduate assistant at Florida State.

Ehrenfeld replaces Steven Smith, who accepted an assistant offensive line position with the Kansas City Chiefs. Kornegay takes Anthony Blevins spot, who is now the defensive backs coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Returning to Tennessee State, Ehrenfeld brought an immediate impact to UTC in his first season. He helped the Mocs allow only nine sacks in 2009, tied for fewest in the SoCon and third lowest in the nation. UTC did not allow a sack for the last four games of the season, including a trip to FBS National Champion Alabama in the season finale.

In 2010, he turned his attention to the centers and guards, helping T.J. Hurless earn a spot on the All-SoCon second team. Add in Chris Harr and Ehrenfeld has guided two Mocs to all-league honors in his two years at UTC.

In 2011, Ehrenfeld coached tight ends, helping the Mocs to a 5-6 overall record, including a 38-17 win at then ranked No. 10 Jacksonville State on Sept. 10. Faysal Shaffat was a 2011 All-Conference freshman tight end for the Mocs.

In his first stop at TSU, Ehrenfeld's offensive line set the tone for the No. 1 rushing offense in the Ohio Valley Conference while allowing just the second fewest number of sacks in the league. All totaled, he has coached more than ten offensive lineman that have gone on to play professionally.

Ehrenfeld previously coached the offensive line at TSU for three seasons (1997-99), helping the Tigers capture back-to-back OVC championships in 1998 and 1999. Notably, four linemen from the 1999 team went on to play in the NFL.

A native of Hillside, N.J., Ehrenfeld played four seasons at Chattanooga, helping the Mocs claim three SoCon titles as a starting offensive guard. He earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education-history in 1981.

Following graduation, Ehrenfeld's first coaching position was at TMI Academy as the offensive line coach. His first collegiate position was as a graduate assistant at the University of South Carolina, where he had the opportunity to coach the Gamecocks in the 1984 Gator Bowl. Since then, he has also coached at Austin Peay (1985-87, 95-96), Itawamba Community College (1988-89), Southeast Missouri State (1990-92), Eastern Michigan (1993-94), Alabama State (2000) and Bucknell (2001-02).

Kornegay, a native of Greenville, Fla., comes to Tennessee State after spending seven cumulative seasons with the Seminoles under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden and current coach Jimbo Fisher.

He served as Graduate Assistant/Quality Control coach for the Seminoles since the 2008 season. While in that capacity, Kornegay assisted coaches Mickey Andrews and Mark Stoops with instructing the defensive backfield. There he helped implement a major base defensive from heavy coverage for the Seminoles.

Kornegay also coached two NFL draft picks in 2010 with Patrick Robinson being selected in the first round to New Orleans and Myron Rolle by Tennessee in the sixth round.

Prior to joining FSU as a graduate assistant, Kornegay served one season as an assistant coach at Madison County High School in Florida. He also served as a speed and strength coach at Titus Sports Academy in 2007.

A three-year starter on special teams for the Seminoles, Kornegay served as team captain in 2006. He helped FSU to two Atlantic Coast Conference championships and saw an appearance in the 2006 Orange Bowl.

Kornegay obtained his bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at Florida State in 2006 and earned his master's in Sports Administration in April 2010.

Both coaches are currently participating in spring drills with the Tigers. 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Sanders, FAMU Strike! Land Willie Conner

CHICAGO, Illinois - Head coach Clemon Johnson, Condric Sanders and Florida A&M have scored a recruiting coup, and have landed Class of 2012 Chicago Crane star Willie Conner.

Conner, a 6'4" shooting guard, ranks among the Top 30 Class of 2012 prospects in the state of Illinois and should be an impact player at FAMU. Conner brings size and an ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways to the table.

Conner put up numbers throughout the season while playing in the Public League Red-West Division, which was arguably the toughest league in the state this past season.

FAMU is making a very strong recruiting push in Chicago with Condric Sanders now on staff. Sanders, who was at Lewis and juco power Highland prior to moving up to the Division I level, is actively involved with a number of other Chicago prospects and is already actively engaged in building a pipeline from Chicago to FAMU.

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Florida A&M Lands Commitment From Chicago 2-Guard

CHICAGO, Illinois -- Willie Conner, a 6'4 2-guard from Crane Tech High School in Chicago has committed to Florida A&M. He chose the Rattlers over offers from Rhode Island and Tennessee-Martin.

Conner had a strong season at Crane and was one of the better available back court prospects in Illinois heading into in the Spring signing period prior to the commitment. Earlier in the year it was thought that he may have been leaning toward Rhode Island. However, that changed when Jim Baron was fired as their head coach earlier this month.

Conner is one of the most unheralded players in the Chicago Public League and can undoubtedly play at the D1 level, which is why he is a good get for Rattlers head coach Clemon Johnson. He has tremendous scoring ability and a solid overall offensive skill set. That is because Conner has a quick shooting stroke, range that extends beyond the 3-point arc and strong upper body strength that he utilizes well in order to consistently get to the basket.

Kudos undoubtedly go out to Rattlers assistant coach Condric Sanders, whose hard work and continuous pursuit of Conner was instrumental in enabling Johnson to close the deal. Sanders, who is nicknamed "Old Skool" by his peers, has ...

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If a High School Dies, Where Does the Glory Go?

CHICAGO, Illinois (Feb. 11, 2012) - As Willie Conner stood alongside his fellow Crane High School seniors last week, clutching a rose and looking down at the hardwood floor, his final home game in a Cougars uniform was not the only thing on his mind.

“We’re not just playing for our fans and our coach and ourselves,” Conner said. “We’re playing for our whole school.”

Chicago Public Schools announced plans in November to phase out Crane, which would end one of the city’s most storied basketball programs. The announcement came just a few days before the Cougars’ first game of the season in December.

“My first thought was just ‘Wow!’ ” said Chris Head, Crane’s head coach. “The thought of phasing out a school with such history, such tradition. How could you do it?”

Crane was a charter member of the Chicago Public League in 1913. It is second in the city for most league titles with 11. (Its rival Marshall has 12.) The school has produced numerous N.B.A. players, including Ken Norman, Tony Allen and Will Bynum, as well as the longtime Chicago Bears owner George Halas.

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Unsigned Senior Willie Conner Drops 26 Points As Chicago Crane Tops Homewood-Flossmoor At The Team Rose Shootout

CHICAGO, Illinois (12 Dec. 2011) - Senior guard Willie Conner is continuing to push his recruiting stock higher with his strong start to his senior season, and again came up big on Sunday night by scoring 26 points to lead Chicago Crane past Homewood-Flossmoor 61-57 at the Team Rose Shootout.

Conner, a 6'4" wing, had given an early verbal to Texas-Pan American, but decided to again open up his recruitment, and now finds himself among the top uncommitted prospects in the 2012 recruiting class. Conner, who is also a strong student in the classroom, leads a team that should only get better this season.

Conner scored 12 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to offset a 19-point showing from Delvon Rencher of Homewood-Flossmoor, who is also still on the board as a recruit.

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Eager Grambling goes through first workouts

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — No way Jomarcus Savage was going to be late for Grambling's first official practice of 2012.

"I've been waiting for so long," the rising senior defensive lineman said. "We had meetings at 3 — I've been ready since 1 o'clock with all my pads on. This is a great feeling, great weather, great place to be right now."



Savage and his teammates were eager to start spring practice Thursday after having to hear about other schools' progress for more than a month.

"I talked to a couple of friends," he said. "I know La. Tech will be done this weekend, and I've got a couple friends at Bama, and their A-Day Game's this weekend, so we're one of the last schools to get started. It's kind of tough, but it does make us hungry, and I'm eager to find out what the outcome's gonna be."

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Southern's Banks, Pugh unveil 2012 basketball recruits

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Head men's basketball coach Roman Banks and head women's basketball coach Sandy Pugh unveiled the 2012 signing class.
Here is a complete listing of the 2012 SU Men's Basketball Signees.

Damian Goodman F Decatur, Ga. Columbia 6-8 200
Devonse Reed G Dallas, Texas Wilmer Htchins 6-4 190
Yondarius Johnson G Plain Dealing, La. Pearl River JC 6-4 240



Here is a complete listing of the 2012 SU Women's Basketball Signees.

Britney Washington G St. Francisville, La. West. Feliciana 5-10 155 Video
Victoria Davis G Monroe, La. Richwood 5-3 135



COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Illinois runner is Gold Nuggets' second signee for 2012

HANNAH FINNEGAN

NEW ORLEANS — Hannah Finnegan of Pekin, Illinois, and Tremont High School has signed a women's cross country scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana. She is XU's second runner signed for 2012.

Finnegan broke 20 minutes for three miles each of the past two seasons at the Illinois High School Association championships, placing 118th in 19:55 in 2011 and 81st in 19:47 in 2010. Her best three-mile time is 19:43.

Finnegan helped Tremont's Turks finish 10th out of 25 schools in the Class 1A team standings in 2011, sixth out of 20 schools in 2010 and 11th out of 20 schools in 2009.

In track and field Finnegan is a two-time qualifier for the state meet in the 800-meter run and has a best time of 2:30 in that event.

Finnegan, a team captain in cross country and track, has a 3.88 grade-point average and will major in pharmacy at Xavier.

Pekin is a suburb south of Peoria and about 170 miles southwest of Chicago.

Briana Simms of Hendersonville, Tennessee, signed with the Gold Nuggets in February.

Xavier's women won the past six Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team championships and qualified for three of the past four NAIA National Championships.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Didavi is NAIA Player of Week; Howell wins GCAC honor

Xavier's Loic Didavi is 21-6 in singles
 and 21-7 in doubles in the 2011-12 season.

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Loic Didavi, who has earned his share of national recognition this season, was selected NAIA Men's Tennis Player of the Week for April 2-8.

Didavi also was selected Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week, and Xavier's Kourtney Howell won the GCAC award in women's tennis for the second time this season.

Didavi, a junior from Cotonou, Benin — a coastal city in West Africa — defeated three ranked singles players and two ranked doubles teams in four days during Xavier's spring-break trip to California. Didavi beat No. 5 Bryan Cox of Westmont, No. 9 Lucas Pereira of Vanguard and No. 19 Tyler Bowman of Point Loma Nazarene, and he teamed with Zach Taylor to defeat No. 2 Cox and Rodrigo Schaefer and No. 12 Bowman and Gregory De Andrade. His 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory against

Bowman clinched XU's 5-4 victory against then-No. 7 Point Loma.

Didavi finished the week 3-1 in singles and 2-2 in doubles, with all but one opponent ranked nationally.

Didavi, in his first season at Xavier, placed fifth in singles and third in doubles with Taylor in the NAIA division of the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships in October. He was a second-team NAIA All-American the past two seasons at Auburn Montgomery. He is ranked 11th in singles and third in doubles with Taylor.

Kourtney Howell

This is the second time that a Gold Rush tennis player received the NAIA award. Taylor did it in 2011.

Xavier's Loic Didavi is 21-6 in singles and 21-7 in doubles in the 2011-12 season.

Howell, a sophomore from Cypress, Texas, and a graduate of Cypress Woods High School, was 2-2 in singles and 2-2 in doubles. She defeated No. 21 Maika Adair of Point Loma Nazarene and No. 38 Nicci Yvanovich of Westmont, giving her four singles victories this season against ranked players. Both her singles losses were to top-10 players.

The XU men and women will conclude the regular season by traveling to Mississippi for matches on Saturday against Tougaloo at 9 a.m. and Alcorn State at 3 p.m. Then the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will compete April 27-28 in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Georgia.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

TSU men's golf hosts Big Blue Intercollegiate

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Tennessee State University men's golf team will host the 5th annual TSU Big Blue Intercollegiate from April 16-17 at the Hermitage Golf Course in Old Hickory, Tennessee.

The General's Retreat Course at Hermitage Golf Club is an 18-hole Gary Roger Baird design with six sets of tees that can stretch the course from 3,315 yards to 6,773 yards. Par is 72, with the front and back nines each at par 36. Yet it still features four par fives with each nine consisting of a balance of two par 3s, five par 4s, and two par 5s.

The General's Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, hosted the LPGA Sara Lee Classic from 1988 to 1999. The General's Retreat has been voted the "Best Golf Course in Nashville."

TSU is set to take on a challenging 10-team field including squads from Ohio Valley Conference members, UT Martin, Morehead State, Tennessee Tech, Eastern Illinois and last year's tourney winner, Murray State (+35; 595).

Other teams slated to compete are Southern Illinois, Trevecca, IPFW and North Dakota.

Practice rounds are scheduled for Sunday, April 15 with the first round set to begin at 8 a.m. on Monday with a shotgun start.

In last season's Big Blue intercollegiate, host TSU finished in a tie for third recording an overall stroke count of 601 after inclement weather shortened the tournament to two rounds. The Tigers finished six strokes behind first place Murray State for the 36-hole event.

Ryan Pierson led TSU and finished second overall after entering the final round tied for first. Pierson carded rounds of 71 and 74 to finish on the final leader board standings 5-over par 140. He finished with one eagle and shot -4 on 5-par scoring.

Cameron Scitern joined Pierson in the top ten recording sixth place overall. He finished in the top ten after carding both rounds at 74 to finish 8-over par 140.

Following the Big Blue Intercollegiate, TSU will prepare for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship that will take place, April 26-28, at Greystone Golf Course in Dickson, Tennessee.

TOURNAMENT INFO

COURTSEY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

George Zimmerman is charged with 2nd-degree murder in Trayvon Martin shooting

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN 4/11/12
SANFORD, FL POLICE DEPT.
ARREST PHOTO

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed unarmed Trayvon Martin, was charged with second-degree murder Wednesday in a case that has riveted the nation.

Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey announced the charge at an early-evening news conference in Jacksonville. She said Zimmerman had turned himself in and was being held in the state.

“It is the search for justice for Trayvon that has brought us to this moment,” Corey said. She said she had informed Martin’s parents of the outcome of her investigation.

Under Florida law, a conviction is punishable by life in prison.

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George Zimmerman arrives at Seminole County Jail, faces second-degree murder charge

SANFORD, Florida -- George Zimmerman arrived at the Seminole County Jail this evening, about two hours after officials announced that he will face a second-degree murder charge in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

Special Prosecutor Angela Corey announced the second-degree murder charge at the State Attorney's Office in Jacksonville tonight, more than six weeks after Trayvon and Zimmerman's fatal encounter.



If convicted, Zimmerman would face up to life in prison on the first-degree felony charge. He arrived at the Seminole County jail about 8:30 p.m. tonight, greeted by a throng of reporters shouting questions.

"The team here with me has worked tirelessly looking for answers in Trayvon Martin's death," Corey said earlier, introducing her prosecutors and investigators.

Corey added that "we do not prosecute by public pressure." She said that her office handles all cases the same way, regardless of the scrutiny.
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JSU receives large donation from a former student

JACKSON, Mississippi (WLBT) - They will be playing beautiful music at Jackson State University to the tune of half a million dollars.

Dr. Lewis Liddell served as head of the Sonic Boom of the South for 18 years. At the annual band banquet, one of his former students who is the manager for rapper Lil' Wayne and hip hop star Drake made a huge donation. Cortez Bryant says JSU made a big difference in his life and he wants to give back and hopes other former students will also support the school.



"The gift is a $500,000 contribution in the name of Dr. Lewis Liddell who was my band director and a former band director for Jackson State for 18 years. The Sonic Boom of The South shaped me and got me out of the streets of New Orleans. It gave me an opportunity to expand my education at Jackson State University", said Bryant.

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UNCW women's coach Cooper-Dyke leaving after 2 seasons

HOUSTON, Texas -- Cynthia Cooper-Dyke resigned as University of North Carolina - Wilmington (UNCW) women's basketball coach on Tuesday to become the coach at Texas Southern University in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Cooper-Dyke compiled a 44-22 record in two seasons with the Seahawks and guided the team to back-to-back WNIT appearances, the first postseason bids in program history.

"I love the city of Wilmington, the UNCW student body and all of the coaches and student-athletes have been awesome," Cooper-Dyke said in a phone interview. "Of course my players have been the best as well, so it was a very tough decision.

"The lures of home and an athletic director that I've worked with in the past and just the bright eyes of my kids when I even broached the subject to them about going back to Houston, it really helped me make the decision. It was a tough one, but I thought it was the best one for me."

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VIDEO: UNCW A.D. TALKS ABOUT COOPER-DYKE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Cooper-Dyke to be new women’s coach at Texas Southern

HOUSTON, Texas - Cynthia Cooper-Dyke stepped down Tuesday as women’s basketball coach at North Carolina-Wilmington and is expected to assume the same position at Texas Southern, pending approval by the TSU Board of Regents.

Cooper-Dyke, who led TSU rival Prairie View A&M from 2005-10, will likely be announced as the Tigers’ next coach Friday. She will replace Yolanda Wells-Broughton, who resigned last Friday after going 33-88 in four seasons.

“Cynthia is our sole finalist,” said TSU athletic director Charles McClelland, who hired Cooper-Dyke in 2005 when he was athletic director at Prairie View. “Upon final approval, Cynthia will be our next head coach at Texas Southern University.”

Cooper-Dyke, a basketball Hall of Famer and former WNBA star with ...

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Cooper-Dyke resigns as UNCW women's basketball coach

WILMINGTON, North Carolina - Where there is smoke, there is typically fire and one has been burning since the end of the women's basketball season at UNCW. The fire was extinguished on Tuesday.

Director of Athletics Jimmy Bass announced that head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke resigned her post to become the next head coach at Texas Southern University. At TSU, Cooper-Dyke will be reunited with Athletic Director Charles McClelland, who hired her in 2006 when he was the AD at Prairie View A&M.

TSU, which plays in the Southwest Athletic Conference, finished the 2011-12 season with a 5-26 record under coach Yolanda Wells-Broughton, who resigned on April 6. In Cooper-Dyke's two seasons at UNCW, the women's basketball teams went 44-22, advancing to the WNIT twice. The post-season appearances and back-to-back 20-plus win seasons were program firsts.

She was also named the Colonial Athletic Association's Coach of the Year in her freshman campaign after her team finished with a school-record 24 wins and a tie for second place in the league standings. Shortly after being named head coach, Cooper-Dyke, an Olympic gold medalist, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Rush offer plenty of resistance before losing 6-1 to Wave

NEW ORLEANS — Tulane needed three-set victories in three singles matches Tuesday to defeat city rival Xavier University of Louisiana 6-1 at Tulane's Goldring Tennis Center.

The Green Wave (11-9), an NCAA Division I member, won for the 10th time in 13 home matches and beat the Gold Rush (12-7), ranked ninth in the NAIA, for the second time this season.

Xavier won two matches — Viktor Svoboda and Corey Huggins beat Shaye Wali and Rodrigo Rappaccioli 8-5 at No. 3 doubles, and Zach Taylor beat Joe Young 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2 singles — but only the singles result counted in the team score. Tulane scored the first point by winning 2-of-3 doubles matches.

Wali's 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision against Svoboda at No. 3 singles clinched the dual and gave Tulane a 4-1 lead. In the final two completed matches, Idan Mark defeated Loic Didavi 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (9-7) at No. 1, and Iain Sneddon beat Corey Huggins 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (12-10) at No. 6.

"The final score is no indication of how this match went," XU coach Alan Green said. "We gave Tulane all they could handle and just fell short on the three deciding matches. I would like to think that we've earned their respect and maybe made them feel uncomfortable. This was a great match. If we can build from this we can do some damage the rest of the way."

The loss was a season-worst third in a row for Xavier and the sixth in nine duals since a 9-1 start. But two of the losses during the recent stretch are to NCAA Division I opponents, and the other four occurred against top-10 NAIA teams.

The XU men and women will conclude the regular season by traveling to Mississippi for matches on Saturday against Tougaloo at 9 a.m. and Alcorn State at 3 p.m. Then the Rush and Gold Nuggets will compete April 27-28 in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Georgia.

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

TSU Golf places ninth at Grub Mart Intercollegiate

GLENCOE, Alabama -- The Tennessee State University men's golf team wrapped up action at the Grub Mart Intercollegiate on Tuesday afternoon, picking up a ninth place finish in the tournament.

Tennessee State recorded a team score of (+79) 943 after carding rounds of 316-309-318.

James Stepp posted his second top 10 finish of the season as he tied for seventh. Stepp opened with an 81 before registering his best score of the tournament (71) in round two. He carded a 3-over-par 75 in the third round to notch (+11) 227.

Ryan Pierson (T31) followed with 237 (78-78-81) while Tyler Hendrickson finished just one stroke behind Pierson with 238 (80-79-79).

Andrew Warner (79-82-83-244) and Dallas Hill (79-81-85-245) rounded out the scorers for TSU as they placed 42nd and 43rd, respectively.

Host Jacksonville State claimed the tournament title with a 33-over-897 while Eastern Kentucky finished second behind a score of (+45) 909. UT Martin also placed in the top three carding a final score of (+58) 922.

Next the Tigers will host the TSU Big Blue Intercollegiate, April 16-17, at the Hermitage Golf Course in Old Hickory, Tennessee.

FINAL RESULTS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Iles chosen a BoxToRow.com second-team All-American

CHRIS ILES

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball standout Chris Iles collected another postseason honor when he was chosen to the BoxToRow.com Division II/NAIA HBCU All-America Team.

Iles, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard from Houston and a graduate of Alief Hastings High School, led the Gold Rush with 9.9 points per game, 4.0 assists per game, 55 made 3-pointers and a .433 3-point field-goal percentage. He ranked 14th in NAIA Division I in 3-point field-goal accuracy, and his percentage is the fifth best in a season in Xavier history.

Two XU teammates, junior forwards Denzell Erves of Vicksburg, Miss., and Anthony Simmons of Rochester, N.Y., received honorable mention. Simmons made the third team a year ago.

Iles, a two-year XU starter after transferring from Nicholls State, received NAIA Division I All-America honorable mention and was All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

The XU men finished 23-9, shared the GCAC regular-season championship, qualified for the second straight year for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship and ranked 24th in the postseason coaches poll.

From the Press Box to Press Row, a syndicated sports radio program, sponsors the team.

NOTES: The Gold Rush ranked sixth in the final BoxToRow.com Division II/NAIA poll . . . No XU players were chosen to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's All-Louisiana team, but Dannton Jackson received five votes to tie for second place with Louisiana Tech's Michael White in balloting for Coach of the Year. Southern's Roman Banks won the award with 9½ votes . . . Senior forward Jamaan Kenner, Xavier's two-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete, will be featured in a taped interview on Ro Brown's Sport-a-Facts program between noon and 1 p.m. Friday on WBOK Radio (1230 AM) in New Orleans.

BoxToRow.com
Division II / NAIA HBCU All-America Team

First Team
Malik Alvin, Shaw
Darren Clark, Bowie State
Marcus Goode, Benedict
Travis Hyman, Bowie State
Tony Smith, Shaw

Second Team
Damion Harris, Virginia Union
Chris Iles, Xavier
Aaron McCuin, Paul Quinn
Marquise Mems, Tougaloo
Trevin Parks, Johnson C. Smith

Third Team
WyKevin Bazemore, Winston-Salem State
Ken Brown, Philander Smith
Joshua Eichelberger Tuskegee
Justin Glover, Winston-Salem State
Kenny Mitchell, Virginia State

Honorable Mention
Nate Barfield, Langston
Terrance Bowman, Claflin
Denzell Erves, Xavier
Denzel Mooney Lincoln (Pa.)
Andrae Nelson, Morehouse
Angelo Sharpless, Elizabeth City State
Anthony Simmons, Xavier
Calvin Thomas, Tuskegee
Byron Westmoreland, Bowie State
Devin White, SUNO

Player of the Year: Malik Alvin, Shaw
Coach of the Year: Cleo Hill Jr., Shaw

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

Bethune-Cookman University's Jordan looking to expand role

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Last year, Bethune-Cookman running back Anthony Jordan showed flashes of what he can do. This season, Wildcats fans will likely get a chance to see the whole package.

"He's having a real good spring," B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said. "He's probably made bigger strides than anybody at his position."

B-CU Spring Game
WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday, April 21
WHERE: Municipal Stadium
ADMISSION: $5; $1 for students with ID; parking fee

Jordan was primarily the Wildcats' goal-line back in 2011, leading the team with nine touchdowns. But the 5-foot-11, 230-pound redshirt freshman also showed off some moves in the open field, highlighted by his 27-yard run against Miami in which he ran over safety Vaughn Telemaque on a first-and-23 to set up a first-quarter touchdown that put B-CU ahead 7-0.



"(My parents) called me (after the game)," Jordan said. "They were excited about it, so that made me excited."

Jordan had seven carries for 49 yards against the 'Canes. But in seven games, he carried the ball four times or less. He finished the year fifth on the team in rushing with 235 yards on 50 carries.

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CIAA tournament breaks more records in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The CIAA basketball tournament continues to grow in popularity, establishing new economic impact and attendance records in Charlotte.

According to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority this year's conference tournament had an economic impact of $50.5 million over the seven-day period, a 14 percent increase from 2011. The overall attendance for official CIAA and uptown Charlotte functions increased to over 197,000 attendees.

“The CIAA cannot thank our alumni, students and fans enough for their unwavering support and role in making the 100th Anniversary Celebration a huge success,” stated Peggy Davis – Interim CIAA Commissioner. “The momentum generated from this year’s Tournament will be used to propel the CIAA into the future as we strive to continuously enhance the quality of our patron’s Tournament experience year-after-year.”

The CIAA has made Charlotte its home for the past seven years and has grown each year.

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